George Elombi sworn in as Afreximbank president

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has officially sworn in George Elombi as the forth president and board chairman of the financial institution.

The investiture ceremony was held in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday.

Elombi, who took over from Benedict Oramah, was officially appointed appointed by Afreximbank stakeholders on June 28.

The newly inaugurated president, a Cameroonian, has been with Afreximbank since 1996, joining as a legal officer.

Speaking at the ceremony, Wale Edun, Nigeria’s minister of finance and coordinating economy, said Elombi now assumes the presidential mantle at a time when Africa’s destiny is being rewritten through resilience and innovation.

“Your appointment represents continuity, it represents renewal, a seamless transition from the solid foundation laid by your predecessor sitting right next to you here, and a bold leap towards the future we envisage,” the minister said.

“Indeed, this is one of those rare moments when the universe aligns for Africa’s progress. Mr. President, your ascension is a testament to the founding philosophy that inspired the great institution.

“You are called not just to lead a bank, but to steward a vision, a vision of self-reliant, integrated, and prosperous Africa.”

Edun, who is also the chairman of the Afreximbank general meeting for the 2025/2026 period, commended Oramah for his service as the bank’s leader over the last decade.

“Under your visionary leadership, Afreximbank has not only financed trade across the continent, it has reshaped Africa’s trade architecture and repositioned the continent in the global economic arena, from Benin, Togo, Chad to Cote d’Ivoire, and beyond,” he said.

“Your legacy, professor, is indelibly written in our continent’s development history.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, Aliko Dangote, the founder of Dangote Group, congratulated Elombi on attaining the leadership of the institution in the development trajectory of Africa.

“Knowing fully well your history, dedication and passion for Africa’s transformation, your role in leading the bank’s COVID-19 crisis response covering both Africa and the Caribbean was amongst the few bright spots at a difficult time for us all,” Dangote said.

“It displayed Africa’s ability to handle crisis and should be a textbook case study on how organisations on the continent should respond to global crises of such scale and magnitude.”

Dangote expressed confidence that the Dangote Group’s 2030 $100 billion target will be met sooner under Elombi’s leadership at Afreximbank, citing their existing partnership.